The Asia Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission (APACC) conducted its second on-site visit to the Food Technology College, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia held on March 19, 2011. Prof. Dr. Renato M. Sorolla, erstwhile Specialist of the Colombo Plan Staff College for Technician Education (CPSC) led the follow-up visit as Team Leader while Dr. Sukhbaatar Javzan, Director of TVET Project, Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Mongolia and Mr. Ganbold Ulziimend, Senior Officer of the Department of Higher and Vocational Education, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (MECS), acted as accreditors. Mrs. Chuluuntsetseg Dagvadorj, APACC National Coordinator for Accreditation (NCA) for Mongolia acted as facilitator for the on-site visit.

The visit aimed to validate if the College had complied with the recommendations placed during the first visit held in June 2009. The assessment was made to evaluate the College's competency to carry out specific tasks for improving academic quality to meet the seven APACC accreditation criteria - Governance and Management; Teaching and Learning; Faculty and Staff; Research and Development; Extension, Consultancy, and Linkages; Resources, and Support to Students.

The visit commenced with a tour of the College's facilities especially on the improved areas as previously recommended. The College administration showed the newly acquired facilities of its laboratory as well as the improvement made on the facilities. Further validation of the revised Self-Study Report was done through interviews, observations, and document inspection and evaluation. During the Closing Ceremony, the Accreditors' Team Leader provided a summary of the Commendations, Affirmations and Recommendations to the institution.

The Food Technology College is a Public Technical College established in 1965, with a mission of educating highly qualified professionals in the food and service sector and aspires to be an institution that complies with international standard requirement. It offers courses ranging from certificate courses to masters courses. The College is currently headed by the Director, Mr. Baasanjav Baramsai.

CPSC successfully concluded APACC Workshop

The CPSC successfully concluded the two-week long Inter-Governmental Workshop on Regional Accreditation Modeling and Accrediting the Accreditors, held from 15-26 August 2005.

The workshop was the first major convention to tackle the working scheme of APACC, which advanced commitment of member government representatives and workshop participants through a Manila Resolution of Commitment 2005.

Thirty-five officials and coordinators of accreditation and certification agencies from member countries resolved to pledge their commitment to advance the purposes and aims of APACC. They unanimously recommended to their respective governments to fully support regional accreditation and certification of TEVT programs and institutions through APACC; to provide human and physical resources to APACC during its initial organizational stages; and to identify the focal office or agency that will work and liaise with CPSC in the implementation of APACC programs, projects and activities.

They also fortified the standards and instruments of APACC.The workshop followed the International Conference held in Seoul, Rep. of Korea in December 2004. It brought forth the Seoul Declaration 2004 where CPSC member country representatives signified the commitment of member governments represented to form an accreditation body.

The initiative, under the leadership of Dr. Man-Gon Park, CPSC Director General and CEO, was undertaken by CPSC in response to the growing need to harmonize standards and skills of TEVT institutions towards greater workforce mobility.
Among the invited Resource Persons were Dr. Asaduzzaman Asad Chairman, University Grants Commission of Bangladesh; Mr. Wipajayananda Ellawala, Additional Secretary for TVET Development, Ministry of Skills Development and Training, Sri Lanka; Dr. Santiago Yabut, Deputy Director General for Field Operations, TESDA, Philippines; Dr. Shyamal Majumdar, Professor & Head Computer Science & Engineering Department, National Institute of Technical Teachers Training & Research and Regional Vice President, IVETA; Dr. Rupert Maclean Director UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre in Germany; Dr. Erlinda Pefianco, Director, SEAMEO INNOTECH, Philippines; Dr. Alcestis Guiang, former TESDA Director General; and Dr. Noorhaizamdin bin Haji Mosbi, Centre Director for the SEAMEO VOCTECH in Brunei; H.E. Mr. W. M. Senevirathna, Ambassador for Sri Lanka and Vice Chairman of the CPSC Governing Board; Dr. Man-Gon Park, CPSC Director General & CEO; Dr. Manuel Corpuz, Executive Director, AACCUP and APACC Technical Consultant; Dr. Ligaya Valmonte, CPSC Assistant Faculty and Prof. Tariq Mahmood, CPSC Faculty Consultant and Workshop Coordinator.

Being a gatekeeper for assuring quality in TEVT, CPSC pursues regional accreditation through APACC to identify institutions/programs with effective system of governance and management, very satisfactory teaching and learning system, well-qualified faculty and staff, adequate academic and administrative financial, physical and other learning resources, productive program of research, extension, consultancy and linkages, and a robust program of student services and development.

Ultimately, accreditation serves the interests of the general public by keeping educational institutions strongly adhere to the highest standards of excellence, thereby raising competence and mobility of the workforce.As an outcome, the workshop produced substantial inputs for the finalization of APACC Accreditation Guides and Materials, consist of the Accreditation Manual, APACC Skills Standards, Survey Instruments and Handbook for Accreditors' Accreditation.